THE ULTIMATE FAITHFUL: 5 COMMISSIONS CLAUDIA WINKLEMAN DOCUMENTARY

Middlechild to Produce 90-Minute One-Off Special Celebrating Britain’s Queen of Television

5 has commissioned a brand-new one-off documentary celebrating one of Britain’s most beloved and influential broadcasters, Claudia Winkleman. The 90-minute special, Claudia Winkleman: Behind the Fringe, will be Produced by Middlechild and feature interviews with friends, collaborators and colleagues from across Claudia’s remarkable career. 

Claudia Winkleman is a national treasure, a style icon and an absolute power-brand. She unites millions of viewers around their television sets thanks to global smash hits The Traitors and Strictly Come Dancing this special will be a portrait of the most successful entertainer of the last decade. 

The film will explore how Claudia has reshaped some of Britain’s biggest entertainment formats, not least her transformative impact on Strictly Come Dancing including her on-screen chemistry with the cast, and her now legendary obsession with Dave Arch. It will also examine how her daring and often outrageous costumes on The Traitors have unexpectedly made her a global fashion icon. 

Beyond the studio lights, the programme asks a deeper question: what makes Claudia, Claudia? With contributions from leading PR and brand experts, the film analyses the unique blend of traits that make her so irresistible to audiences and broadcasters alike. From her instantly recognisable fringe and unapologetic devotion to fake tan, to her healthy and hilarious self-deprecation and her rare ability to be both glamorous and completely relatable. 

The special features interviews from Strictly Head Judge Shirley Ballas, Strictly Celebrities Angela Rippon and Richard Arnold, along with dancers Kai Widdrington and Karen Hauer, Traitors stars Wilfred Webster and Diane Carson, along with Janet Street Porter, who gave Claudia her first on screen gig, Stuart Murphy, Katie Puckrick and Boyd Hilton.

Greg Barnett, Commissioning Editor at 5, said: “Claudia Winkleman is quite simply one of the most important broadcasters of her generation. She has an extraordinary ability to connect with audiences in a way that feels both completely natural and utterly unique. This film is a joyful, affectionate and insightful celebration of everything that makes her such a compelling presence on our screens, and we’re delighted to be working with Middlechild to bring this story to life.” 

Emma Clarke, Executive Producer at Middlechild, said: “Claudia is endlessly fascinating she is hilarious, self-aware, brilliantly talented and completely herself. This documentary allows us to look beyond the fringe and explore not just her incredible career, but the personality and values that have made her such a defining figure in British television. We want this to feel like the ultimate tribute from her many fans, collaborators and friends.” 

Told with warmth, wit and sharp humour, the film goes behind the fringe to explore the real Claudia: her career, her personality, her influence and the phenomenon that is “Brand Claudia”.  

There’s Something About Claudia (1x90') was commissioned by Greg Barnett, Commissioning Editor at 5, and is Executive Produced by Emma Clarke & David Sumnall for Middlechild.